Rita's halts custard sales due to egg shortage

Bird flu casualty: Rita's pulls frozen custard

The latest casualty of bird flu? Frozen custard. The summer treat made with eggs is being pulled from Rita's stores across the country due to an egg shortage and has been replaced by soft-serve ice cream.

The latest casualty of bird flu? Frozen custard. The summer treat made with eggs is being pulled from Rita's stores across the country due to an egg shortage and has been replaced by soft-serve ice cream.

The nationwide egg shortage has prompted Rita's, the popular water-ice chain with multiple locations in the Lehigh Valley, to temporarily halt the sale of its frozen custard.

Rita's spokeswoman Ariel Vegotsky said all 600 locations across the country will replace the custard with a soft-serve ice cream made with no eggs. The soft-serve will be available in vanilla, chocolate or a twist.

Vegotsky said the soft-serve ice cream is similar in taste and texture to the custard. Rita's other products like its mistos, blendinis and gelatis will still be available but made using the new soft-serve ice cream.

The transition to the soft-serve ice cream will take place as locations run out of the original custard.

Vegotsky said the chain is hoping to keep the price of the soft-serve the same as the custard but ultimately it's up to the individual franchisees.

An avian flu outbreak is affecting the country's egg-laying hens, making fewer eggs available nationwide. Since it's unclear how long the egg shortage will last, Rita's officials are unsure how long it will be until they return the original custard to stores.

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MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO, DONNA FISHER

The nationwide egg shortage has prompted Rita’s, the popular water ice chain with multiple locations in the Lehigh Valley, to temporarily halt the sale of its frozen custard.

The nationwide egg shortage has prompted Rita’s, the popular water ice chain with multiple locations in the Lehigh Valley, to temporarily halt the sale of its frozen custard. (MORNING CALL FILE PHOTO, DONNA FISHER)

There are nearly two dozen Rita's locations in the Valley, including Emmaus, Allentown, Macungie, Nazareth and Palmer Township.